HomeMy WebLinkAbout4-7-2026 HCBOE Board Meeting Minutes RegularHARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
REGULAR MEETING
APRIL 7,2026
6:30 P.M.
Present: Board Chairman Danny Moody, Secretary Rickie Day, Members: Allison Fenderson,
Betsy McCormick and Russ Ugone
Staff: Director Claire Jones, Assistant Director Sarah Rathke and Election Technician Kelly
Castleberry
Call to Order
Mr. Moody called the meeting to order al6:29 p.m. Mr. Day led the prayer and Pledge of
Allegiance.
Public Comment
Marge Mueller
Rebekah Brock
Approval of Minutes
The Board reviewed the minutes from the following meetings:
o March 3,2026, Election Day
o March 6,2026,Provisional
o March 10,2026, Joint Commissioner Meeting, Closed Session
o March 13,2026, Canvass
Mr. Day moved to approve all sets of minutes, and Mr. Ugone seconded. The motion carried
unanimously.
Partial Approval of Provisional Ballots
Following queries and further clarification by Mrs. Jones, Mrs. McCormick made a motion to
partially accept the two provisional ballots, and Ms. Fenderson seconded. Whereupon, the motion
Mrs. Jones presented two provisional ballots that had been previously rejected by the board. She
indicated that, following an audit by the State Board of Elections, the two ballots had been
identified as legally requiring a partial count. She relayed that the State explicitly instructed
numerous counties, including Harnett, to re-canvass the 2026 Primary Election and include a
partial count of the identified provisional ballots.
carried unanimously and the votes cast for federal contests on the two provisional ballots were
counted.
Approval of Amended Canvass
Mrs. Jones presented updated canvass paperwork to the members, as required by state law, and
members signed appropriately.
Notification of Election
Mrs. Jones stated that she will be sending a letter to local candidates that won their contests to
notifu them that they will be on the ballot in November. She indicated that the Board is no longer
legally required to sign or approve the notification letter, but that she brought the item to the
Board for their information purposes.
Mr. Moody relayed that he wants the Board to present certificates to the winners of elections at a
future board meeting.
Election Judge Survey
Mrs. Rathke presented the results of the Post-Election Election Worker Survey that the office sent
out to canvass Election Workers for feedback regarding training sufficiency, topics needing
improvement, and any questions or concerns. She relayed that the following information was
noted and would be used to inform future trainings:
o Positive Ballot on Demand feedback
o Need for elaboration on the check-in process, help-desk duties, and provisional ballot
process
o Requests to provide printed materials farther in advance
o More computer and technology training
o Outline what official Observers can and cannot do
Whereupon, Mrs. Rathke noted that the new Election Worker Management System, Integra, and
the reconfiguration of the office to allow for a suitable training area, will address the expressed
concerns.
Mr. Moody stated that he had heard from several individuals in the past that they had applied to
be Election Workers and subsequently did not receive any further communications. Whereupon,
Mrs. Rathke requested the names of the individuals to investigate further and explained the
previous and current election worker verification and communication process.
Following invitation by Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Rathke, along with input by Mr. Ugone, presented a
summary of an action plan developed to recruit more Election Workers. The following
information was provided to members:
a Recruitment goal of 50 new workers
. Target dates developed
o Mr. Ugone made a formal request to the Republican and Democratic parties to canvass
their members for anyone interested
o Development and distribution of two printable ads
o Ads posted and shared on county social media and Harnett County Website's main
webpage
o Distribution of flyer and offer to attend meetings or events of every Chamber of
Commerce in Harnett County
. Applications sent out to five individuals
o Mr. Ugone contacted the Chairman of the Harnett County School Board to inquire on
how to reach out to teachers and students
Closed Session
At 6:57 P.M. Mr. Moody stated that the Board would enter a closed session General Statute
143.318.11.
At7:47 P.M. Ms. Fenderson made a motion to return to an open session, which was seconded by
Mr. Day, and carried unanimously.
Adjournment
Ms. Fenderson made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Mr. Day seconded, and the motion carried
unanimously. Whereupon, the meeting was adjourned at7:47 p.m.
Approved By:
Danny Rickie Day,
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Allison Fenderson, Member Betsy McCormick, Member
Russ Ugone, Member
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